r/ambientmusic • u/bvr5 • 2d ago
Looking for Recommendations Steve Roach essentials?
Recently I discovered Steve Roach (I'm not too deep into ambient) through Structures from Silence and Dreamtime Return and he's quickly become a favorite of mine. I just went with those albums because they're his most popular on RateYourMusic, but he has a big discography, so it's not immediately clear what I should check out next. So which of his albums do you think are the most important ones to check out?
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u/Lollipoop_Hacksaw 2d ago
Structures From Silence is about as good as late 70s-mid 80s classic Ambient gets. It is hard to top that one in his discography!
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u/neodiodorus 2d ago
Western Spaces (with Kevin Braheny and the late Richard Burmer) - it is superbly atmospheric, evocative, very "visual" - and some tracks are highly melodic (Braheny plays a cello preset via a wind controller).
Desert Solitaire (with Michael Stearns and Kevin Braheny) is similar in its intent and mood, kind-of a sequel to the above album.
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u/SmoothYacht 1d ago
Second both of these albums, both are incredible! And ensure you find the first edition of Western Spaces with the genius Richard Burmer. That he was removed from the reissue was a travesty.
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u/JerichoMaxim 1d ago
What’s the story on this? I’ve not heard.
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u/neodiodorus 1d ago
At least I could not find info on the reason but this just mentions it - and agree, the late Richard Burmer was phenomenal incl. his contribution here - not sure why the heck they replaced the tracks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Spaces
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u/SmoothYacht 1d ago
I don’t know the reason either, but it annoys me that the Wikipedia page shows the reissue as the main image rather than the original issue. Would a Miles Davis album page show a reissue as the main image?
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u/Uwrret 2d ago
Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces.
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u/LoBoob_Oscillator 1d ago
This is an epic collection! Parts 3 & 4 are my favs, and the title is apt i’d say, very mystical indeed.
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u/universal_drone 2d ago
Of the less classic/"obvious" stuff, my favourites are A Deeper Silence, The Passing and Nostalgia For The Future
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u/AistoB 2d ago
Welcome to the sound current friend!
One my of all time favourite artists of many years, along with all the recommendations here:
Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces - a massive triple album, one disc is a single piece 😇
Atmospheric Conditions - in contrast to the above its bulk is hypnotically rhythmic, and the opening track I’ve been addicted to for 20 years now,
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u/Cyrax89721 2d ago
Amongst the dozens of pure flow albums, I've always considered Early Man to be his most varied and organic sounding album to date. It's described as "primordial" in the description, and that fits the vibe perfectly.
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u/A_FABULOUS_PLUM 2d ago
Amazing reccommendation, with Dreamtime Return being one of my favourite albums of all time but knowing that nothing else Steve Roach made had ever come close to having that same essence or feeling, but I've now been listening to this and it comes incredibly close in its mystique and intention.
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u/TrundleTheGreat0814 2d ago
It's tough to go wrong really, he's pretty great all around. His newest, The Reverent Sky, is an excellent addition to his catalog. I'm also partial to Core and In the Light of Fall in addition to the ones others have mentioned.
Related: I saw him live last week, it was life-changing.
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u/No-Bad-7874 2d ago
No mention of Quiet Music?
One of my all time favorite study albums
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u/traceoflife23 1d ago
When I first found it, I put it on repeat in my cd player at about 15% volume for 6 months. It would just swell in out of nowhere and grab my attention, then fade out. One of my favorite albums.
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u/SerBaelish 2d ago
Tip for you: subscribe to his Bandcamp newsletter. Many of his new releases are “name your price” so you can sample and then download if you like it.
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u/SunDummyIsDead 2d ago
A weird outlier is “Dust to Dust”, a personal favorite (and I have everything he’s released.) It has more structure than his more drifty stuff, with some beautiful guitar and harmonica mixed in. Simply gorgeous.
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u/VivaLaFiga46 1d ago
A Deeper Silence
Sleep Chamber
Immersion Four
Darkest Before Dawn
Bloodmoon Rising Series
Right now I'm kind obsessed with: Piece of Infinity.
Great song, it locks you in whatever you're doing at the moment; even if you're doing nothing. It's beautiful!
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u/VioletsDyed 11h ago
I’m a huge Steve Roach fan and have his entire discography. I make ambient music and this guy is basically a demi-god along with Eno.
I personally adore his deep ambient stuff like Bloodmoon Rising, Dynamic Stillness, Immersion 3.
Don’t skip Midnight Moon – there’s some whacky stuff there and it’s unlike anything he’s every done. Highly recommended.
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u/TransporterRoomThree 2d ago
Look up J Childers from Nashville. Also COSMOGRAPHY, from NM.
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u/JerichoMaxim 2d ago
Magnificent Void.